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Victoria Bay of Los Angeles protests against fascism while attending a "Good Trouble Lives On" demonstration in front of City Hall on July 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo by Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
What Kind of Times Are We Living In?
Alarming ones, if you believe in democracy.
Sep 23, 2025
Censorship is flooding our society.
However, like soma in Brave New World, many Americans are pacified by what we see online. TikTok videos, watching other gamers, and videos of the cute things that wild animals do on Instagram. If it’s the mainstream news, we’ll see a car crash, a house fire, the weather, traffic reports. If it’s political, it is too often framed as though it’s the same old, same old—similar to the mid-1990s welfare reform debate or the discussion around the Iraq War in 2002-2003, rather than focusing on Americans’ and American residents’ constitutional freedoms, human rights, and freedom of speech at stake.
Some Americans are in a state of shock, hoping that in three and a half years things will get better. Others are in a state of denial, pretending that things aren’t actually on a blitzkrieg train to fascism. Others say, well, it’s not pretty but in the end society will benefit. Then, of course, the diehard MAGAs, with Dr. Panglossian eyes, think that we are now living in the best of all possible worlds.
Yet, this begs the question: What kind of times are we living in?
The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism.
Where people who pick blueberries and harvest fall crops are disappeared by masked men.
Where protesters are thrown to the ground if they are Americans. If they are not citizens, then they could be rounded up, detained for hundreds of days, and deported.
Where media heads, less beholden to the concentration of power, are cancelled for criticizing the wannabe dictator’s MAGA movement. But wasn’t there a right-wing push against so-called "cancel culture"?
Where federal scientists’ jobs are eliminated and the public is told to question vaccines that save millions of lives.
Where health insurance is stripped from the people, while $1 trillion is spent on the military and hundreds of millions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has become a paramilitary force like Israel—receiving exorbitant funds and complete impunity.
Where there’s a new war on terror against the supposed drug smugglers traveling near a less-favored country—Venezuela—or the country with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Where the war on terror has also expanded internally to Antifa. But what person in the world isn’t anti-fascist? Oh right, MAGA, a special kind.
Where the perpetrator of genocide is now forcing the 1 million Gaza City residents from their homes and uses the mask of the wannabe dictator’s Gaza Rivera plan.
What about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has become the ultimate Reichstag moment? Never mind the murder of Minnesota state reps, the killing at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, or the attempted insurrection on January 6. And the fact that since the 1990s, political violence has been dominated by the right wing. However, it is a convenient opportunity to crack down on speech, try to cancel Jimmy Kimmel, and declare a war on the opposition. Because our fragile wannabe and his enablers are the real snowflakes.
Anyway, good times in the not-so-United States of America in September 2025. The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism. Unless we can stop it.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Peter F. Crowley
As a prolific author from the Boston area, Peter F. Crowley writes in various forms, including short fiction, op-eds, poetry, and academic essays. His writing can be found in Pif Magazine, New Verse News, Counterpunch, Middle East Monitor, Galway Review, Digging the Fat, Adelaide’s Short Story and Poetry Award anthologies (finalist in both), and The Opiate. He is the author of the poetry books Those Who Hold Up the Earth and Empire’s End, and the short fiction collection That Night and Other Stories.
antifacensorshipdemocracyfascismgaza genocideimmigration and customs enforcementmagavenezuelawar on terrorauthoritarianism
Censorship is flooding our society.
However, like soma in Brave New World, many Americans are pacified by what we see online. TikTok videos, watching other gamers, and videos of the cute things that wild animals do on Instagram. If it’s the mainstream news, we’ll see a car crash, a house fire, the weather, traffic reports. If it’s political, it is too often framed as though it’s the same old, same old—similar to the mid-1990s welfare reform debate or the discussion around the Iraq War in 2002-2003, rather than focusing on Americans’ and American residents’ constitutional freedoms, human rights, and freedom of speech at stake.
Some Americans are in a state of shock, hoping that in three and a half years things will get better. Others are in a state of denial, pretending that things aren’t actually on a blitzkrieg train to fascism. Others say, well, it’s not pretty but in the end society will benefit. Then, of course, the diehard MAGAs, with Dr. Panglossian eyes, think that we are now living in the best of all possible worlds.
Yet, this begs the question: What kind of times are we living in?
The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism.
Where people who pick blueberries and harvest fall crops are disappeared by masked men.
Where protesters are thrown to the ground if they are Americans. If they are not citizens, then they could be rounded up, detained for hundreds of days, and deported.
Where media heads, less beholden to the concentration of power, are cancelled for criticizing the wannabe dictator’s MAGA movement. But wasn’t there a right-wing push against so-called "cancel culture"?
Where federal scientists’ jobs are eliminated and the public is told to question vaccines that save millions of lives.
Where health insurance is stripped from the people, while $1 trillion is spent on the military and hundreds of millions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has become a paramilitary force like Israel—receiving exorbitant funds and complete impunity.
Where there’s a new war on terror against the supposed drug smugglers traveling near a less-favored country—Venezuela—or the country with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Where the war on terror has also expanded internally to Antifa. But what person in the world isn’t anti-fascist? Oh right, MAGA, a special kind.
Where the perpetrator of genocide is now forcing the 1 million Gaza City residents from their homes and uses the mask of the wannabe dictator’s Gaza Rivera plan.
What about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has become the ultimate Reichstag moment? Never mind the murder of Minnesota state reps, the killing at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, or the attempted insurrection on January 6. And the fact that since the 1990s, political violence has been dominated by the right wing. However, it is a convenient opportunity to crack down on speech, try to cancel Jimmy Kimmel, and declare a war on the opposition. Because our fragile wannabe and his enablers are the real snowflakes.
Anyway, good times in the not-so-United States of America in September 2025. The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism. Unless we can stop it.
Peter F. Crowley
As a prolific author from the Boston area, Peter F. Crowley writes in various forms, including short fiction, op-eds, poetry, and academic essays. His writing can be found in Pif Magazine, New Verse News, Counterpunch, Middle East Monitor, Galway Review, Digging the Fat, Adelaide’s Short Story and Poetry Award anthologies (finalist in both), and The Opiate. He is the author of the poetry books Those Who Hold Up the Earth and Empire’s End, and the short fiction collection That Night and Other Stories.
Censorship is flooding our society.
However, like soma in Brave New World, many Americans are pacified by what we see online. TikTok videos, watching other gamers, and videos of the cute things that wild animals do on Instagram. If it’s the mainstream news, we’ll see a car crash, a house fire, the weather, traffic reports. If it’s political, it is too often framed as though it’s the same old, same old—similar to the mid-1990s welfare reform debate or the discussion around the Iraq War in 2002-2003, rather than focusing on Americans’ and American residents’ constitutional freedoms, human rights, and freedom of speech at stake.
Some Americans are in a state of shock, hoping that in three and a half years things will get better. Others are in a state of denial, pretending that things aren’t actually on a blitzkrieg train to fascism. Others say, well, it’s not pretty but in the end society will benefit. Then, of course, the diehard MAGAs, with Dr. Panglossian eyes, think that we are now living in the best of all possible worlds.
Yet, this begs the question: What kind of times are we living in?
The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism.
Where people who pick blueberries and harvest fall crops are disappeared by masked men.
Where protesters are thrown to the ground if they are Americans. If they are not citizens, then they could be rounded up, detained for hundreds of days, and deported.
Where media heads, less beholden to the concentration of power, are cancelled for criticizing the wannabe dictator’s MAGA movement. But wasn’t there a right-wing push against so-called "cancel culture"?
Where federal scientists’ jobs are eliminated and the public is told to question vaccines that save millions of lives.
Where health insurance is stripped from the people, while $1 trillion is spent on the military and hundreds of millions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has become a paramilitary force like Israel—receiving exorbitant funds and complete impunity.
Where there’s a new war on terror against the supposed drug smugglers traveling near a less-favored country—Venezuela—or the country with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Where the war on terror has also expanded internally to Antifa. But what person in the world isn’t anti-fascist? Oh right, MAGA, a special kind.
Where the perpetrator of genocide is now forcing the 1 million Gaza City residents from their homes and uses the mask of the wannabe dictator’s Gaza Rivera plan.
What about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has become the ultimate Reichstag moment? Never mind the murder of Minnesota state reps, the killing at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, or the attempted insurrection on January 6. And the fact that since the 1990s, political violence has been dominated by the right wing. However, it is a convenient opportunity to crack down on speech, try to cancel Jimmy Kimmel, and declare a war on the opposition. Because our fragile wannabe and his enablers are the real snowflakes.
Anyway, good times in the not-so-United States of America in September 2025. The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism. Unless we can stop it.
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